How balloons are made. How to inflate foil balloons

run kite not only children love it. For adults, a fun hobby allows for a short time to return to a carefree time again, to feel the joy of flying. You can buy a finished product, but it is much more interesting to make a snake on a string with your own hands. Using improvised materials and drawings, you can easily cope with this task.

Types of kites you can make yourself

In order to make a kite with your own hands, you need 5 things: elementary labor skills, materials, drawings, desire and patience. All structures are made according to the same principle: a base with aerodynamic properties of various shapes and a rope. The kite can be flat and voluminous, simple or consisting of several links.

Such a thing can be found in the store, but it will be a typical replicated version. It is better to make a controlled kite yourself, and then launch and enjoy the result.

The first who came up with the idea of launching a structure in the form of a kite or dragon into the sky were the Chinese. They took up this fascinating business in the 5th century BC.

Flat kite made of paper, nylon or polyethylene

Together with children, you can make a simple version of a domestic snake, which is called "Monk".

Take a sheet of thick paper of any color in A4 size. Attach the lower right corner to the left long side so that it is aligned with the short one. It turns out a triangle with an upper single part. Cut it off, unfold the sheet, you get a square.
Mentally or with a pencil, draw a straight line between two opposite corners of the square - mark its axis.
Bend the sheet so that the right and left sides of the square "lie" on its axis.
Bend the corners up twice according to the accordion principle.
On both sides, glue a thread 30 cm long into the middle of the accordion. It turned out to be a “bridle”.
Strictly in the center of the bridle, tie a rope to launch and control the kite.

It is impossible to control a snake without a tail, so do not forget to make a rope of ribbons or threads intertwined and tied at the bottom with a tassel.

Make 20 pieces of ordinary thread or 5-6 of wool. Their length for a small snake should be at least 50 cm.
Fold the cut blanks together and tie with a brush towards the end or twist into a pigtail. You can decorate the tail with bows or paper triangles.
Make a hole in the bottom corner of the kite, thread the tail through and tie in a knot or glue it.
If you use ribbons or strips of fabric instead of thread, thread them through the hole, fold over, and sew the top to the bottom.

In addition to their decorative and entertainment functions, the first kites in China were used in construction. With their help, ropes were thrown over reservoirs and ravines for the subsequent construction of bridges.

Home kite in 5 minutes - video

Paper, fabric and wood construction

Compared to the "Monk" in the manufacture of this kite, there are some complications. In addition to paper, you will need thin wooden slats and fabric.

To make such a kite, prepare in advance:

2 notebook sheets;
3 slats (2 60 cm long, 1 - 40 cm);
strong kapron thread;
colored fabric.

Instructions for creating a flat "Russian" kite with your own hands - video

Scheme of a triangular kite made of polyethylene

The triangular kite is another type of flat design that is more difficult to make. But the result of work will surely please you. The kite turns out to be a classic triangular shape, bright and very beautiful.

From the materials you will need:

plastic bag, better bright and tight;
slats (straight sticks made of bamboo, willow, linden, pine or just window glazing beads);
rope or fishing line with a reel.

The dimensions of the finished product depend on the dimensions of the package and the growth of the launcher. Use percentage notation as shown in the diagram. Decide which figure is taken as 100%, and then use a calculator to calculate specific values.

For accurate marking, substitute your values and calculate the parameters of the kite in centimeters

Cut out the "body" of the kite from the bag according to the drawing.
Prepare 4 slats of appropriate sizes: two side rails of the same size, one long longitudinal and one short transverse.
Fix with any glue first the side rails on the sides, then the longitudinal in the middle, and at the end the central transverse.
Attach a keel in the middle of the kite with tape.
In the center of the bottom of the canvas, cut a hole into which you can thread the tail made from the scraps of the bags.
Tie one fishing line to each corner, fasten them together with a knot.
Attach a fishing line with a reel to the resulting “bridle” for launching and control.

Interesting fact. In ancient times, kites were used for military purposes: for reconnaissance, sending messages or gunpowder to enemy territory.

Drawing of a product in the form of a rhombus

This design is made according to the same principle as the triangular kite. You will need 2 slats (60 and 30 cm), a plastic bag, fishing line and tape.

Fold the slats in a cross so that the short one crosses the long one at a height of one quarter of the total length.
Tie them with tape or string.
Put the resulting cross on a plastic bag.
We measure the desired size and shape of the future kite
Cut out the canvas in the shape of a diamond, leaving a small margin.
Pull it over the rack cross, tuck the stock and glue or hem.
We fit the cross of the kite with a bag and cut it off
Tie a fishing line to the intersection of the sticks and to the lower corner of the rhombus. Just in case, make a few turns and fix well.
We tie the fishing line to the intersection of the sticks
Tie the fishing lines together with a knot to which you attach the fishing line with the reel. It turns out a bridle.
Attach the tail, also cut out of cellophane, to the end of the axial stick with adhesive tape.

In order for a kite to fly well, its tail must be 10 times longer than its base.

Interesting fact. In the XIII - XIV centuries, air structures were used to study natural phenomena and observe the weather.

To make a kite, you can also use the scheme.

Making your own diamond-shaped kite - video

How to make a bird design

To get a kite that resembles a bird in flight, use one trick: fasten the bowstring between the side parts. Under the pressure of the wind, it will then stretch, then weaken, making the structure "winged".

Necessary materials:

8 sticks with a diameter of less than 1 cm and a length of 30.5 cm, 3 sticks of 91.5 cm and 3 of 150 cm from linden or pine;
nylon or polyethylene film;
fishing line;
coil.

Place 150 cm long rods in front of you parallel to each other.
Across, place a 91.5 cm stick at a distance of 59.75 cm from the edge.
Tie it with threads so that between the first and second there is a distance of 30.5 cm, and between the second and third - 61 cm.
Stepping back 30.5 cm to the larger side, attach a second stick 91.5 cm long.
Tie 4 short slats at a distance of 30.5 cm from each other at an angle so that they converge at the bottom into a triangle (see diagram).
Close the closed ends of the short planks with the last rail 91.5 cm long. We got a “day nursery” tied in the center of the structure.
Tie everything with threads smeared with glue.
Fasten the ends of long sticks pre-moistened with water. You need to wet them so that they do not break when bent.
Between the ends of the "wings" stretch the fishing line.
To make the “body” of the snake, cut a pentagon out of fabric (upper and lower sides 30.5 cm each, height 91.5 cm + 2 cm per collar). In the center, make a square with a side length of 30.5 cm.
From the bottom corners of the square, measure 59.75 cm left and right.
To the obtained points, stretch the segments from the ends of the upper and lower sides of the pentagon. It turned out a canvas with a window in the middle.
Sheathe and glue the wooden frame of the kite.
In addition, cut 4 inserts for the "crèche". Each size 30.5 x 30.5 cm. Insert them into the "windows", glue.
Make a tail out of the rope and the remnants of the fabric, attach the "manger" on one side.
On the other hand, make a bridle from two interconnected lines and tightly tie a thread with a spool (rail) to them.

In order for the structure not to collapse on one side and not disintegrate in the air, adhere to the dimensions exactly and tightly tie the parts together.

It is problematic to launch such a kite alone, so call your comrades and get a surge of joy from launching the "bird" into the sky.

Do-it-yourself air raven - video

Volumetric (box) kites

To create a voluminous kite, you will need:

wooden slats (window glazing beads can be used) - 4 pcs. 1 m long and 6 by 60 cm;
large garbage bags;
durable nylon tourniquet on a reel from a hardware store;
scotch;
ruler;
square;
scissors;
glue.

Volumetric kite flies high and beautifully, and you can make it yourself

Successful launch secrets

You can fly a kite alone, but this requires a certain skill. It is more convenient and more fun to do it together. One holds a snake, the other a spool of fishing line or thread (handle). The main condition for a successful launch is the presence of wind from 3–4 m/s, as well as open space without trees and wires.

The person who holds the handrail becomes so that the wind blows in his back, unwinds 10-20 meters of the rope and pulls it.
The second moves to the length of the rope, runs up and launches the kite. He must seize the moment and pull the rope.
If the wind is not strong enough and the kite starts to lose altitude or cannot rise at all, the lifeguard will also have to run.

If you want to have a great time, be creative with the whole family - make a kite. It is quite easy to make it yourself. The spirit of unity, joy and fun will be a reward for the time and effort spent.

If you take an inflated bubble and lower it into the water, and then let it go, the bubble will jump out to the top of the water and begin to float on it. In the same way, if you boil the cast iron of water, then at the bottom, above the fire, the water becomes volatile, gas; and as soon as the steam gathers, a little water gas, it will now pop up in a bubble. First one bubble pops up, then another, and when all the water is heated, the bubbles pop up without ceasing: then the water boils.

Just as bubbles inflated by flying water jump out of water, because they are lighter than water, so a bubble inflated with gas will jump out of the air to the very top of the air - hydrogen or hot air, because hot air is lighter than cold air, and hydrogen is lighter than all gases.

Balloons are made from hydrogen and hot air. This is how balloons are made from hydrogen: they make a big bubble, tie it with ropes to stakes and let hydrogen into it. As soon as the rope is untied, the bubble will fly up, and fly until it jumps out of the air, which is heavier than hydrogen. And when it jumps up, light air, it will begin to float through the air, like a bubble on water. Balloons are made from hot air in the following way: they make a large empty balloon with a neck at the bottom, like an inverted jug, and a piece of cotton is attached to the neck, and this cotton is soaked in alcohol and lit. From the fire, the air in the balloon will warm up and become lighter than cold air, and the balloon will pull upwards, like a bubble from water. And the balloon will fly up until it comes into the air lighter than the hot air in the balloon.

Almost a hundred years ago, the French, the Montgolfier brothers, invented balloons. They made a ball of linen with paper, filled it with hot air; the ball flew. Then they made another bigger ball, tied a ram, a rooster and a duck under the ball and let it go. The ball rose and fell safely. Then they forged a boat under the ball and a man sat in the boat. The balloon flew so high that it disappeared from sight: it flew and then descended safely. Then they came up with the idea of filling the balloons with hydrogen and began to fly even higher and faster.

In order to fly on a balloon, they tie a boat under it, and two, three, and even eight people sit in this boat and take food and drink with them.

In order to descend and ascend whenever you want, a valve is made in the balloon, and the one who flies can pull the rope and open and close this valve. If the ball rises too high and whoever flies wants to lower it, then he will open the valve, the gas will come out, the ball will shrink and begin to descend. In addition, there are always sandbags on the ball. If you drop the bag, then the ball will be lighter and it will go up. If someone flies, wants to go down and sees that something is wrong below - or a river or a forest, then he pours the sand out of the bags, and the ball becomes lighter and rises again.

For many people, the ball has been associated with the holiday since childhood. They are given to each other, they decorate the halls, they are launched into the air at the final stage of the solemn event. But not everyone knows how balloons are made.

There are five stages in the production of balls:

preparation of latex mass;
formation of balls;
washing and drying;
removal from the mold of finished products;
quality control.

Preparation of latex mass

Modern balloons are made from latex. They contain more than just rubber. Its percentage usually does not exceed 60%. Everything else is non-toxic chemical impurities, fillers and dyes. It is on the quality of the components that the strength and appearance future balls. Each manufacturer keeps the exact composition and technology a secret. The goal of all manipulations is to obtain an elastic mass.

ball shaping

To shape the balls, special blanks are used. Their configuration depends on the final product, but it is very similar to a deflated balloon. Materials for blanks use a variety of: ceramics, plastic, aluminum.

First of all, the tip is placed in a coagulant, which will act as a magnet that "collects" the latex.
The form moistened with coagulant is dipped in latex.
A chemical reaction takes place, resulting in the latex sticking to the disc.
Calcium nitrate, water and/or alcohol are used as coagulant.
If technology requires it, the balloons are dried and then immersed in latex again. To give the balls smoothness, they are passed through rotating brushes or rollers.

Washing and drying

Blanks with freshly applied latex are allowed to dry. Washing is a mandatory and very important step in the production of balls. With the help of it, harmful substances are removed from the surface of the ball. If the manufacturer has an unscrupulous attitude to this stage, balls containing harmful substances go on sale. After washing, the blanks are placed in a drying chamber. Here the latex mass loses excess moisture and hardens under the influence of temperature. With the help of a fan, the finished products are cooled to room temperature.

Demoulding finished products

The balls are dry, hardened and ready to be separated from the mold. This is done manually, using water or compressed air.

Quality control

Each party passes obligatory control. Check not only the presence of defects, but also the absence of harmful impurities. Good quality balls have walls of the same thickness, do not leave an unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth, the edges of the hole are movable.

Now it is not a secret for you how balloons are made. Watching the process of their production is fascinating.

Foil balloons are made from pieces of metallized lavsan film, with a colorful pattern or a single-color coating applied, connecting them by thermal welding. Since lavsan film with metal coating is very similar to foil, they are most often called "foil", much less often - "mylar" or "lavsan". Foil balloons are of the following types:

Decoration - are made in the form of various stars, a circle, a heart, a crescent moon from a plain film of bright colors. Some manufacturers cover them with holographic paint, which gives the paint a transfusion and sparkle.

With a pattern - are produced in the same forms as the design ones, but they are applied or inscriptions for all festive occasions.

Symbols are monophonic, as a rule, made in the form of numbers or Latin letters 80-90 centimeters high.

Figures - made in the form of animals, heroes of animated films and fairy tales, various objects. They are simple or bulky.

Walking figures - inside them are special weights that do not allow them to fly up. At the slightest draft, the figure moves along the floor, turns, swings its head.

What and how to properly inflate a foil balloon?

Small balloons are more often filled with air, in which case the balloon is usually attached to a tube with a clamp. Volumetric ones measuring 18 inches or more are filled with helium. All foil balloons have an inlet (aka non-return) valve at the base, through which it is inflated with both air and helium.

To solve the question of how to inflate the balloon with air, you can use a hand pump, which has several nozzles and is suitable for all types. If there is no pump at hand, you can inflate by mouth through a cocktail tube. In this case, you must carefully insert the tube into the inlet towards the center of the ball, move it 5-10 centimeters inward and exhale inward. If necessary, straighten the foil ball or gently push the tube a little deeper. After inflating, you just need to pull out the tube, the check valve will immediately close and the air will not come out.

To fill foil balloons with helium, you will need a portable helium tank, a balloon attachment, and an adapter to inflate this type of balloon. The lower, wider part of the nozzle is screwed onto the cylinder, then an adapter is screwed into it. This adapter is the tube that needs to act in the same way as when inflating with air. It is advisable to blow the ball through the tube with air before opening the balloon (just one exhalation to make sure that the air goes). Then you need to press the neck of the ball to the adapter, open the valve on the cylinder and start filling the ball. At first, it is inflated quickly, but when almost full, helium begins to be supplied in small portions in order to avoid a burst of the ball. When the foil ball is fully inflated, the valve is completely wrapped, the ball is carefully removed from the adapter, tied with a braid or sealed with a sealer.

A well-filled balloon does not need to be tied, as the non-return valve keeps the filling inside. But, so that the ball does not fly away, a braid is tied to its neck. If you tie a ribbon above the inlet, then the tightness of the valve may be broken and the ball will lose elasticity, so you need to tie the ribbon below the inlet. Balls without a valve are sealed using a specialized device - a sealer, while two welds are formed on the neck of the filled ball, located above the inlet. Then a braid is tied to it.

life span of foil balloons

Their lifespan ranges from a few days to a month. Helium or air slowly escapes through the check valve or through the seams that connect the parts of the balloon.

In addition, life expectancy is influenced by the environment: cold, heat, rain. Therefore, it is advisable not to expose the balloons to a large temperature difference, not to use them in the rain or in the wind, and also to properly fill and tie them.

The second life of foil balloons

In order to save money when decorating a holiday, you can reuse used foil balloons, but for this you need to correctly and carefully release all the air from them, and store them unfolded in a dry and cool place, laying paper between them.

Just as bubbles jump out of water, inflated with flying water, because they are lighter than water, so a bubble will jump out of the air to the very top of the air, inflated with gas - hydrogen, or hot air, because hot air is lighter than cold air, and hydrogen lighter than all gases.

Balloons are made from hydrogen and hot air. This is how balloons are made from hydrogen: they make a big bubble, tie it with ropes to stakes and let hydrogen into it. As soon as the rope is untied, the bubble will fly up, and fly until it jumps out of the air, which is heavier than hydrogen. And when it jumps up into the light air, it will begin to float through the air, like a bubble on water. Balloons are made from hot air in the following way: they make a large empty balloon with a neck at the bottom, like an inverted jug, and a piece of cotton is attached to the neck, and this cotton is soaked in alcohol and lit. From the fire, the air in the balloon will warm up and become lighter than cold air, and the balloon will pull upwards, like a bubble from water. And the balloon will fly up until it comes into the air lighter than the hot air in the balloon.

In order to fly on a balloon, they tie a boat under it, and two, three, and even eight people sit in this boat and take food and drink with them.

In order to descend and ascend whenever you want, a valve is made in the balloon, and the one who flies can pull the rope and open and close this valve. If the balloon rises too high and whoever is flying wants to lower it, he will open the valve, the gas will escape, the balloon will shrink and begin to descend. In addition, there are always sandbags on the ball. If you drop the bag, then the ball will be lighter and it will go up. If someone flies, wants to go down and sees that something is wrong below - or a river or a forest, then he pours the sand out of the bags, and the ball becomes lighter and rises again.